DOI article:
Łaptaś, Magdalena: A sphere, an orb or a disc?: the object held by the archangels in the Faras Cathedral wall paintings
DOI Page / Citation link:https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.18946#0034
all the angels, for how could he come upon the earth without bearing the
armour of the seal of salvation of his Emperor?”20
The next item of interest from the Faras Cathedral is a no longer existent
wall painting which was situated on the east wall of the north nave.21 The
archangel portrayed was on the right of the Virgin Hodegetna; on the left-hand
side of the Virgin a saint was represented. The condition of the painting was
extremely bad: a part of the figure’s torso minus its right shoulder was all
that was visible. The archangel was rendered frontally. In the left hand he
held a sphere in a similar manner to the painting discussed above (no. inv.
234040 MNW), grasping it from below with his fingertips showing. He was
dressed in a cloak and in a tunic, which was fastened with an ornate belt. The
wings were full of feathers marked by rows of short lines. An identical set of
wings appears in the painting on the south wall of the south nave, a fact which
may indicate that the style and iconography of both works are related. If both
the Virgin Hodegetria and the archangel were painted around the same time,
the archangel’s function is clear: he is accompanying Mary, just as on the back
of the ivory sceptre top of Teo VI. The attribute he is holding therefore
may be a symbol of his status and of his important function, which was to be
Mary’s attendant.
The next two paintings, both of which are in the National Museum in
Warsaw, bear inscriptions identifying the two archangels depicted as Michael
and Gabriel (inv. nos. 234051 MNV( 234052 MNW; field inv. nos. 98, 99)
[Figs. 5,6]. Both renderings were located on the west wall of the Cathedral’s
narthex, Michael on the right of the entrance, Gabriel on the left. With the
exception of some missing pieces, both have survived in good condition. Both
figures are rendered standing and frontally. In his right hand, Michael has
a trumpet and in his left a sphere; Gabriel is wielding a sword in his right hand,
and like Michael, a sphere in his left. Their hair is pinned up on the tops of
their heads. Each is dressed in a tunic which comes down to the ankle, and in
a loros decorated with rectangles and circles which imitate precious stones.
Gabriel is wearing ankle-high shoes; (Michael’s feet have not survived). The
archangels’ wings are covered with an eye-shaped motif. Both works have been
rendered using the same range of colours. Their faces are a white similar to
that of the edge of the loros; the contour is painted black and dark-red; the
tunics are of a light violet colour, while the wings are yellow. The manner
in which the archangels are holding the orbs differs from that of the paintings
discussed above. There, the object is held in raised hands, in front of the
figure. In these wall paintings the archangels’ hands are lowered and slightly
to the side. The sphere is being held, not from the bottom, but from the
side. It is apparent that an attempt was made to render the object three-
20 E. A. Wallis Budge, Samt Michael the Archangel. Three Encomiums, London 1894, pp. 97-98.
21 1 wish to thank the Mediterranean Archaeological Institute of the Polish Academy of Scien-
ces for allowing me access to the archaeological records of the no longer existing Faras Cathed-
ral paintings.
32
armour of the seal of salvation of his Emperor?”20
The next item of interest from the Faras Cathedral is a no longer existent
wall painting which was situated on the east wall of the north nave.21 The
archangel portrayed was on the right of the Virgin Hodegetna; on the left-hand
side of the Virgin a saint was represented. The condition of the painting was
extremely bad: a part of the figure’s torso minus its right shoulder was all
that was visible. The archangel was rendered frontally. In the left hand he
held a sphere in a similar manner to the painting discussed above (no. inv.
234040 MNW), grasping it from below with his fingertips showing. He was
dressed in a cloak and in a tunic, which was fastened with an ornate belt. The
wings were full of feathers marked by rows of short lines. An identical set of
wings appears in the painting on the south wall of the south nave, a fact which
may indicate that the style and iconography of both works are related. If both
the Virgin Hodegetria and the archangel were painted around the same time,
the archangel’s function is clear: he is accompanying Mary, just as on the back
of the ivory sceptre top of Teo VI. The attribute he is holding therefore
may be a symbol of his status and of his important function, which was to be
Mary’s attendant.
The next two paintings, both of which are in the National Museum in
Warsaw, bear inscriptions identifying the two archangels depicted as Michael
and Gabriel (inv. nos. 234051 MNV( 234052 MNW; field inv. nos. 98, 99)
[Figs. 5,6]. Both renderings were located on the west wall of the Cathedral’s
narthex, Michael on the right of the entrance, Gabriel on the left. With the
exception of some missing pieces, both have survived in good condition. Both
figures are rendered standing and frontally. In his right hand, Michael has
a trumpet and in his left a sphere; Gabriel is wielding a sword in his right hand,
and like Michael, a sphere in his left. Their hair is pinned up on the tops of
their heads. Each is dressed in a tunic which comes down to the ankle, and in
a loros decorated with rectangles and circles which imitate precious stones.
Gabriel is wearing ankle-high shoes; (Michael’s feet have not survived). The
archangels’ wings are covered with an eye-shaped motif. Both works have been
rendered using the same range of colours. Their faces are a white similar to
that of the edge of the loros; the contour is painted black and dark-red; the
tunics are of a light violet colour, while the wings are yellow. The manner
in which the archangels are holding the orbs differs from that of the paintings
discussed above. There, the object is held in raised hands, in front of the
figure. In these wall paintings the archangels’ hands are lowered and slightly
to the side. The sphere is being held, not from the bottom, but from the
side. It is apparent that an attempt was made to render the object three-
20 E. A. Wallis Budge, Samt Michael the Archangel. Three Encomiums, London 1894, pp. 97-98.
21 1 wish to thank the Mediterranean Archaeological Institute of the Polish Academy of Scien-
ces for allowing me access to the archaeological records of the no longer existing Faras Cathed-
ral paintings.
32